Fee increase for UK registered doctors starting 1st April 2025

From 1st April this year, the General Medical Council ‘s annual retention fee will rise to GBP 463 (from 455 now). This is in line with UK’s official inflation of 1.7%.

Who is entitled to a discounted fee from the GMC

Also, the income discount threshold will rise to GBP 37,000.

This means that doctors whose total annual income from any source is no higher than 37K will be entitled to apply for a reduced annual fee.

The period this discounted fee applies to starts on your annual registration renewal date and ends 365 days later.

A word of warning! Income discounts are not approved automatically. If you know you won’t earn more than 37K next year, then you can submit an individual request to the GMC to approve a discount for you.

Proof of income may be asked now or in future. It’s not a good idea apply if you can’t prove your eligibility.

UKmed has helped doctors with their discount requests, and we know what kind of evidence the GMC may ask for now or later.

Why doctors pay a fee to the GMC

The General Medical Council is the UK’s independent regulator of Doctors, Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates.

In order to maintain its independence from the government, it does not receive any public funds. Instead, it pays for itself from the fees it charges doctors to keep them on the medical register (the annual retention fee), registration fees, PLAB fees and other income of its own.

If you are a doctor, make sure to pay your annual retention fee in time. Otherwise, following a warning, you will be struck off the register, which means you won’t have the right to work in the UK or for UK-based patients.

Want to find out more?

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Ask UKmed for career advice on obtaining and retaining GMC registration.